Raider Fans Are Here, but Raiders Are Not

Scott Ostler’s column (Nov. 21) was on the right track in suggesting that the Raiders have lost the support of the local fans; they have. But the article suffers from the pet theory of local sports analysts, that there is something unique about the L.A. sports fan, something the Raiders have failed to tap in to. This just isn’t the case with the Raiders, a team whose popularity has never relied on geography.

Raider fans crawl out of the woodwork on Sunday all over the country, drooling in anticipation of that which for years we credited to Al Davis: hard-nosed, break-the-rules, in-your-face football.

If Al Davis thinks the fault lies not with the team but with the local fans, then it’s time for a reality check. We’re still here, we’re just waiting for the real Raiders to show up.

BRIAN GAMBLE

Hollywood